Electronic devices are continually getting “smarter” as greater processing power becomes available in smaller and smaller packages. With many types of electronic devices now ubiquitously part of personal and professional life, they occupy a unique position in our lives. They provide an easy-to-use, powerful tool that can be used to improve, and even to introduce paradigm shifts to how certain things are done. Listening to music on a smartphone is one simple example. This presents endless opportunity for applications on a smartphone or other user electronic devices.
It seems, however, that most of the productivity improvements introduced through devices like personal devices like the smartphone are personal, rather than professional. It's easier to find things like restaurants, stores, etc. using navigation features of a smartphone. It's easier to keep in touch through phone calls, text messaging, social network accounts like Twitter and Facebook, and email. It's easier to take and share pictures. And myriad other applications that attempt to improve personal life. Professional life has not been overlooked, but it seems that the improvements here are more limited in type, scope and impact. For example, it's also easier to keep in touch professionally through phone calls, text messaging and email. It's easier to maintain professional contacts and to gain access to those contacts anytime, anywhere. It seems, however, the the professional improvements brought about through the portability and availability of computer processing power have not presented a significant shift in how business is done. Professional improvements seem to fall into the category of improved efficiency, but certainly nothing considered a paradigm shift. There remain many opportunities for such improvements to professional life that are possible with more intelligent personal electronic devices like the smartphone.
Electronic devices tend to be designed and configured for a particular purpose or function. While electronic devices may be multi-function devices, e.g., a multi-function printer, or a smart phone that can make phone calls, takes pictures and play music, the function(s) are typically pre-programmed, and a user of the device is limited to these preprogrammed functions. However, because an electronic device is preprogrammed for a particular function or functions does not mean those are the only functions the device is capable of performing. To the contrary, many electronic devices are capable of performing functions for which they are not programmed. Unfortunately, a user is limited to the preprogrammed and available functions of an electronic device unless the user pays to upgrade the device to enhance and/or expand its functionality. It has not currently been possible for a user, in real-time, to use a personal electronic device like a smartphone to access and control a target electronic device in a way that changes the function or functionality of the target device.
Consider a multi-function printer (“MFP”), as one example. Although this device is configured to perform certain functions, e.g., print, scan, copy, email, it is also able to perform functions beyond these. For example, a typical MFP is capable of scanning a document and sending it via email by accessing an address book stored in the MFP, provided that the user is in front of the MFP and directly controlling it. The MFP cannot send an email in response to an instruction from a user device, and to an email address provided by that user device, i.e., to an address that is not part of the MFP address book. The MFP also cannot email a document that is not scanned at the MFP. Thus it is possible for an MFP to email documents, but only using its own address book and only using document it scans. Thus, these functions of the MFP, as examples, are available but limited by the preprogrammed configuration of the MFP.
In addition, an MFP has on-board intelligence beyond what is necessary to control the core functions of the printer. MFPs have networking functionality, enabling direct or wireless connection to a network, and authorization functionality to prevent unauthorized use of or access to the MFP, as two examples. MFPs are also able to collect and log usage data, including various metrics such as per-user usage, paper tray utilization, toner status, etc. Currently, access to and use of this data is not generally available to a user of the MFP.
In addition to the above-noted shortcomings of the prior art, it is also currently not possible to access significant types and amounts of data captured by an MFP, and use that data to intelligently manage the use and operation of the MFP. It is also currently not possible to create automatic service events for an MFP based upon usage data and most anticipated or most common service requirements. It is also currently not possible to remotely construct and control custom operations for an MFP such as, by way of non-limiting example, a custom print job that involves a sequence of discrete steps carried out by the MFP with or without user interaction.
What is lacking in the prior art is a system, network architecture, or method that addresses and/or overcomes the above-described shortcomings of the prior art. More specifically, a system, network architecture or method is lacking that enables a user to access and control an electronic device in a way that adds to or changes the function or functionality of the electronic device. What is further lacking in the prior art is a such a system, network architecture, or method that is user-centric—empowering the user to access, control, and to change the function of an electronic device.